From classrooms to real life

English at UVic

Lord Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words.
Lord Polonius: What is the matter, my lord?
Hamlet: Between who?
Lord Polonius: I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.
― William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Don’t let Hamlet mess with you. The “matter,” of course, is Literature.

Literature captures us and urges us to reflect upon our relation to the world, to our culture, and to ourselves. In stories, poems, and plays; in epics, romances, and sacred texts; in films, graphic novels, and even video games: we represent who we are through imagination and language. We are, after all, Homo loquens: the creature that uses language in a very special way.

The English Department at UVic proudly offers a wide range of both traditional and cutting-edge courses that tackle literature from a variety of perspectives, with the purpose of feeding your imagination, challenging your intellect, and offering the pleasures of reading.

At the same time, our English courses, whether in literature or Professional Communication, develop your ability to write well, to analyze texts effectively, and to create your own effective texts. These courses will also prepare for you for reading and writing in contexts beyond the classroom and university, wherever clear, competent communication is valued. We are also very strong in Digital Humanities, offering a number of exciting graduate and undergraduate courses that bring together literary and digital studies.